Folding paperboard center handle carrier



A. J. WEISS 2,806,643

FOLDING PAPERBOARD CENTER HANDLE CARRIER s Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 17, 1957Filed May 25, 1954 i 2.9 INVENTOR.

a 25 3 Z7 ARTHURI WEISS -AT'T RNEYS Sept.17, 1957 A. J. MassFOLDINGMPAPERBOARD CENTER HANDLE CARRIER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25,1954 QQJ 26 2e 27 27 p 1957 A. .1. WEISS 2,806,643

FOLDING PAPERBOARD CENTER HANDLE CARRIER Filed May 25, 1954 I 5Sheets-Sheet 3 011111 'IIIII' IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'IIIIJIIIII?It'll,IIIIIIIIII-'II'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 14 l5 INVENTOR.

' v ARTHu/eJT WEISS ATTORNEYS 2,806,643 FOLDING PAPERBOARD CENTER HANDLECARRIER Arthur J. Weiss, Bergenfield, N. 1., assignor to Continental CanCompany, Inc., a corporation of New York Application May 25, 1954,Serial No. 432,090 3 Claims. (Cl. 22952) The invention relates tofolding paperboard center handle carriers or cartons of the type inwhich the handle extends through the top, or cover, of the carrier.

Center handle paperboard carriers or cartons of the type describedordinarily are constructed from paperboard blanks in which the handleconstitutes an integral part of the blank. One of the most seriousdrawbacks of such devices is that they are difiicult to set up for usedue to the rather complex manipulations involved in folding the handlesand bringing them into carrying position. in many such carriers it isnecessary to fold the handle and then to feed it through a slot.Frequently it is necessary also to supplement this or other foldingsteps with special fastening operations such as stitching of flaps, etc.with metal staples and the like. Also there is the problem that, oncethe handle has been folded into form, the carrier cannot be knocked downflat for shipment to the packager, retailer or other initial user. Andthere is the still further problem of devising any simple mechanizedoperation for setting up such carriers, and as a consequence the usermust do most of the job by hand, even to the steps of individuallyfolding and setting up the handles.

It has been an object of my invention to devise a carrier or cart-onconstruction which alleviates the fore-v going problems, which isparticularly well adapted to the production of center handle carriersthat can be produced in flat folded form withhandles already formed andsecured in carrying position, and which can easily be folded and gluedwith the use of conventional types of high speed folding and gluingmachines. My carrier can be converted from its fiat folded form asreceived from the carton manufacturer to its erected form by the simplemanipulation of squaring up the sides, and, in cases where end closuresare desired, tucking the end flaps together. Other objects andadvantages of my invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In accordance with my. invention a folding paperboard center handlecarrier comprising a bottom panel, two opposed side wall panels and atoppanel together forming a tubular body, has its top panel made in twosections extending respectively from the two opposed side wall panelswith the two top panel sections overlapping near the center of thecarrier, and a handle formed as an extension of one of the top panelsections includes a glue flap which lies below the top panel and isadhesively secured to the underside thereof, the overlapping portions ofthe top panel sections being adhesively secured together. The handle ishinged to one of the top panel sections along a line which is parallelto the overlap and inwardly from the edge of such top panel section. Theglue flap lies partly below overlapping portions of the top panelsections. In my preferred construction the top panel section to whichthe handle is attached, has a recess extending along its edge, and thehandle has its side strips extending from the base of such recess nearits ends.

An important aspect of this construction is its adaptability tomanufacture in flat folded form with the use of a conventional type ofhigh speed folding and gluing maited States Patent Patented Sept. 17,1957 chine by performing the following steps: folding the handle flatwith its glue flap adjacent the inside of the adjoining top panelsection, folding such panel section flat against its adjoining side wallpanel while at the same time reversely folding the handle flat againstthe outside of its adjoining top panel section to bring the ends of theglue flap underneath the respective ends of the recess from which thehandle extends, applying an adhesive to the inside of the edge of theother top panel section and then folding it, together with its adjoiningside wall, fiat against the bottom panel to bring its glued edge intojuxtaposition with the exposed area of the handle glue flap and with theedge portions of the first top panel section which are in line with theglue flap, and finally pressing the juxtaposed glue areas together.

in the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the best mode contemplatedby me of carrying out my inventron:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a carrier, suitable for use as a hatboxand the like, embodying my invention in its preferred form.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the inside of the blank from which thecarrier of Fig. 1 is formed. This view illustrates the first step in theproduction of the flat folded carton.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the second step in theproduction of the flat folded carton.

Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating the final step in the productionof the fiat folded carton.

Fig. 5 is an inside view of the blank.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail vertical cross-sectional views illustratingthe first handle folding step.

Figs. 9, l0 and 11 are detail vertical cross-sectional viewsillustrating the second handle folding step as performed in conjunctionwith the first body folding step.

Figs. ll, 12 and 13 (Fig. 11 having been mentioned previously) aredetail vertical cross-sectional views to illustrate the final bodyfolding step.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, my preferred carrier or cartonconstruction is shown as comprising a bottom panel 14, two opposed sidewall panels 15 and 16, and a top panel denoted generally as-17. Theseseveral panels together form a tubular body. The top panel 17 comprisestwo sections 18 and 19 extending respectively from the two opposed sidewall panels 15 and 16. Top panel section 19 has a recess 20 extendingalong the central portion of its edge, and a folding double handle 21has its side strips 22 extending from the base of recess 29 near therespective ends thereof. The other top panel section 18 has recesses 23in its edge to receive side strips 22 of the handle. Handle 21 includesa glue flap 24 which extends beyond the ends of the central recess 20 ina longitudinal direction. Thus the glue flap has end portions whichoverlap portions of the top panel sections (see Fig. 3) and a centralexposed area available for gluing to the edge of the top panel section18.

As we have seen, the panels and panel sections 14, 15, 16, 18 and 19together form a tubular body. If a closed end carrier or carton isdesired, suitable end flaps may be provided for this purpose, such asthe interlocking flaps 2529 inclusive. One conventional form of suchinterlocking flaps is shown in the drawings, but as the construction andoperation of such end flaps are well known and form no part of thepresent invention, further detailed description appears to beunnecessary. However, it may be noted that these flaps are shown intheir closed and interlocked relationship in Fig. 1. Other types of endclosure flaps may be used according to the particular needs to beserved.

The several panels and flaps which have been described are defined byscore lines or other forms of fold lines as well known in the art towhich this invention pertains,

such fold lines being indicated generally at 3033 for example.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 to 13 inclusive, I shall nowdescribe the steps of forming and gluing the fiat folded carrier fromthe blank of Fig. 5. The first step, illustrated in Figs. 2, and 6 to 8inclusive, comprises folding the handle 21 flat with its glue flap 24against the inside of top panel section 19. Next the top panel section19 is folded fiat against its adjoining side wall panel 16 whileconcurrently folding the handle flat against the outside of top panelsection 19 to bring the ends of the glue flap 2.4 underneath therespective ends of recess 20 of top panel section 19. This combinedoperation will best be understood from a comparison of Figs. 9, and 11,having regard to the movements indicated by the arrows in these views.Top panel section 19 swings in a counterclockwise direction as hereviewed, while the folded handle 21 remains horizontal, or nearly so.This is an operation which can be performed easily on conventionalfolding and gluing machines in which the paperboard blanks are fedthrough the machine in a direction parallel to the fold lines 31, 32 and33. The glue flap of the handle is turned through 180 relative to toppanel section 19 while the ends of the flap remain on what is to be theunderside of top panel section 19. Thus the ends of the flap are broughtautomatically into the desired final relationship without any specialtucking operation. At some time before the next folding step, theadhesive, such as glue, is applied to the inside of the other top panelsection 18, adjacent the edge of such section, as indicated by thestippling at 34 in Fig. 3. In the next folding step, top panel section18 and its adjoining side wall panel are folded flat against the bottompanel 14 to bring its glued edge into juxtaposition with the exposedarea of the handle glue flap 24 and with the edge portions of the toppanel section 19, and the juxtaposed glue areas are then pressedtogether to complete the formationof the flat folded carrier or cartonas shown in Figs. 4 and 13. This is the form in which the carrier orcarton is shipped from the box manufacturer to the packer, retailer orother user. It will be observed that in this form the handle 21 is readyfor use without any further manipulation.

In addition to the advantages of ease of manufacture of the flat foldeddevice and the ease of setting it up for use, my construction has thefurther advantage that the glue flap of the main body of the carrier isin line with the handle so as to provide the reinforcement of a doublethickness of glued paperboard stock where strengthening isof thegreatest importance.

The terms and expressions which .I have employed are used in adescriptive and not a limiting sense, and I have no intention ofexcluding such equivalents of the invention described, or of portionsthereof, as fall within the purview of the claims.

I claim:

1. A folding paperboard centerhandle carrier comprising a bottom panel,two opposed side wall panels and a top panel, said panels togetherforming a tubular body, said top panel comprising two sections extendingrespectively from said two opposed side wall panels, said two top panelsections overlapping near the center of the top panel, and a handlehinged to and extending from one of said top panel sections along a lineparallel to the overlap and inwardly from the edge of said one top panelsection, said handle including a glue flap which lies partly belowoverlapping portions of said top panel sections and is adhesivelysecured to the underside of the other section of the top panel,overlapping portions of said top panel sections being adhesively securedtogether.

2. A folding paperboard center handle carrier comprising a bottom panel,two opposed side wall panels and a top panel, said panels togetherforming a tubular body, said top panel comprising two sections extendingrespectively from said two opposed side wall panels, said two top panelsections overlapping near the center of the top panel, at least one ofsaid top panel sections having a central recess in its edge in the wayof the overlap, and a folding double handle extending from and hinged tothe base of said central recess, said handle including a glue flap whichlies below overlapping portions of said top panel sections at pointsadjacent the ends of said central recess and is adhesively secured tothe underside of the other top panel section, overlapping portions ofsaid top panel sections being adhesively secured together at points inline with said handle glue flap.

3. A folding paperboard center handle carrier comprising a bottom panel,two opposed side wall panels and a top panel, said panels togetherforming a tubular body, said top panel comprising two sections extendingrespectively from said two opposed side wall panels, one of said toppanel sections having a recess extending along the central portion ofits edge, and a folding double handle having its side strips extendingfrom and hinged to the base of said recess near the respective endsthereof, the other of said top panel sections having recesses in itsedge to receive said side strips of the handle, said edges of therespective top sections being overlapped and adhesively securedtogether, and said handle including a glue flap at its end which liesbelow overlapping portions of said top panel sections and is adhesivelysecured to the underside of said other top panel section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,731,414 Grossman Oct. 15, 1929 2,032,343 Arthur Mar. 3, 1936 2,041,021Quagliotti May 19, 1936 2,115,782 Mulnix May 3, 1938 2,157,062 StopperMay 2, 1939 2,168,387 Bellin Aug. 8, 1939 2,323,782 Kretchmer July 6,1943 2,344,009 Trogman Mar. 14, 1944

